Sweet Chariots

Back in 2003 during the Rugby World Cup I had the pleasure of having the whole of the Preston outdoor market traders and the majority of their customers who knew the song sing unto me Sweet Chariots on the Grand Final day... They even announced over the tannoy that there was an Australian in the fabric section. Yes that would have been moi.

England won that was a surprise - no I am not a bitter Australian, no never... Ever want to dig a hole and sink into it?

Swing low, sweet chariot

Coming for to carry me home,
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Coming for to carry me home.

But this hymn has some key lyrics which is reflecting my life at the moment. It is in about the third verse I think that has the lyrics that best sums up my life at the moment.

Sometimes I'm up, and sometimes I'm down,
(Coming for to carry me home)
But still my soul feels heavenly bound.
(Coming for to carry me home)

Come on Life what else
are you going to throw at me?
... I should have not done or said that...

Life has been a bit of challenge to put it mildly.  Do you like the use of the understatement for all the major dramas of the last 12 months?  Typical Australian pathos..

Downs:

• Yes it is that time again Professional Development Program aka the dreaded PDP. Have to do so many hours and discovered to meet the amount I need another module before the annual deadline. We are in the mist of a mad rush of 20,000 words (report and essay) in less than a ten days. Who planned this date to clash with undergraduate dissertations hand in and the end of academic semester? You would think for an academic pd program the hand in date would be after EASTER break... Not before.
• Fibro flares, more auto immune developments and the continuing saga of continuing medical issues including skin cancer.  Can we call me a lemon? OMG this body model is so flawed that I want a refund if only I was a car which could be replaced.
• One toxic workplace but I am juggling the three workplaces so I am having a total issue with the space time continuum. Damn I need a Tardis.
• Reclamation of my birth family's Blacksheep crown as "a totally irresponsible flbbertigibbet".  Don't you just love your elders?

Ups:

• My wonderful little family - the husband and tiddlywinks.
• It is spring and the sun is shining. 
• Snuggles from the furry members of the family.
• Those wonderful friends online and in real life who have encouraged me and recently shown me that they care. I got a wonderful parcel of love last week on a day I really really needed it. It was a second part of the monster hug from the Rav Tav.
• Acceptance onto a new course starting in September 2011. It has become the light at the end of the tunnel for all the downs. I am going in a new direction but it is something I have always been interested in - Crafts. Yes, I am going to do a degree in Contemporary Craft.

My light at the end of the tunnel

So I have some good and bad things but if I can just survive the now stuff I have something to look forward to. I really do feel that I am on my way to something wonderful. I just need another round of chemo to remove the last bits of skin cancer but there is only a little bit left. Out, damn'd spot! out, I say! - in my best Lady Macbeth impersonation.

Today's images are from the first parcel of monsters from the Rav Tav Gang. I will have to find the camera to photo the new parcel but I just get this report and essay finished first, 10,000 words down 10,000 to go. 

I did not get any knitting done on the weekend cause I was being a goodie two shoes who was doing her PDP homework in the University library. Knitting has been calling but I am not getting much done. But I see a time soon when I can sit and just knit and it will be for a legitimate cause. I am doing my homework for uni. Yeah right my lot are really going to let me get away with that one but I can keep dreaming. Just let me have my delusions.

Rav Taver's surprise parcel BOO.

The RAVTAV or Ravelry Tavern is a online thread were a bunch silly ravelry members play regularly with great frivolity and virtual booze.  We have a Gorilla as a barkeep and the cleaning crew are bunch of fairies and elves. The standard drink measure is a bucket of rum.  Note a bucket not a glass we dont believe in half measures.

A gang of regulars in the tav recently sent me a care package. Finally I have had some sunlight today so photography was possible but I had work and therefore I delegated this to the boys ie Hubby and son.

The unpacked box in sunlight

As you can see I scored a bevy of monsters that each make me laugh great guffaws and chuckles. I was laughing so hard in the post depot car park when I got the box that I had streams of hysterical tears down my face. Even my normal house postie (who nipped out the back of the depot to the delivery van car park for a ciggie) laughed when he came over to see if I was all right. I must have looked a sight sitting in the car as I always go blotchy when I cry even when it is due to laughter.

The disabled parking for the local post depot is actually in the main depot van delivery area and you have a special little buzzer and the person manning the parcel desk comes out to see you.  The special parking arrangements are so you don't have to get out the car and attempt to get in the building via the most un-disabled friendly entrance to a building I have ever encountered for a public service agency. I had already done the buzzer and the parcel desk postie had collected the card and brought the box back to me. I could not wait to home so it was lets break into the interesting red parcel in the car.

Patience is a virtue which I just don't have when it comes to parcels. I prod and poke mail parcels to the nth degree. I totally know I get this from my mother who as nefarious for investigating christmas pressies in the same manner. So I  creating complete chaos in the front seat while roaring with laughter over each item. Of course when when my house postie asked I told him all about ravelry and the silly gang while showing him everything that had come out of the box. Postie had that look when I had finished raving about every item which said "I will just agree with the deranged woman and she will eventually leave me alone"

So my house postie wants a copy of any photos for his bit of the wall in the depot. I think it was going to go up with a comment of the weirdest and wackiest parcel he has ever been involved in with the delivery (he did the card slippy thing in the door). I already have a reputation for mugging the postie who is on whenever I am waiting for a yarn parcel.

Give me my wool now !!! pretty please!

So here is another big thanks to gang who did this box for me and a heads up of who made what:

• a Yip Yip Alien from hishummingbird
• Fur monster from dawnmc71
• a Pirate duck from maggiesocks
• a Captain Jack Sparrow and pirate theme-d sweatshirt from Jlwiemelt
• a sock monster who are holding onto a pair of socks and some heavenly fibre from wonkyknitter
• a grumpasuraus who could have been me for the last couple of months from bzzymom29
• a slug family from Lissaplus2
• A lovely little bag and green Cyclops alien monster from Twirlymom
• large green slug from sishogan
• a nautilus by geneticsgirl
• a Little Alien and mini monster from Samiad
• a couple of cards and a joint letter from the gang.

Also a big thank you to all the other co-conspirators who managed to keep it a secret for so long while being in on it.   

With much loves and thanks,

Kotaatok

Spinning Swaps

Well | have had a bit of win win weekend . Weekend off work. Time to spin and hubby has replaced my card reader so photos are now getting snapped and loaded at a great rate.

Came home on Friday to four parcels so I have swap goodies. Some photos will be displayed below.
Spinning wise I managed to spin and ply my goodies from Sabo in the Easter fibre swap and I was so thrilled with what I have meterage wise. I am getting better and more consistent and my joining is working well there are few boo boos but that what makes what I have done unique.

	Daughter took the photos so of course there is a cat in them.  She likes the cat more than her mother's yarn.

Daughter being the teenager that she is complained this morning about the noise of mum's spinning wheel treadle waking her up.  The repetitive clunk clunk clunk apparently was driving her barmy.


I opened four parcels on Friday and if we have some decent light I would take more photos but it was a case of what you can get with our current light conditions.

I got a box of yarn from one swapper yeap a BOX I still have not worked out where to start with that one.  See yah off to breath some more yarn fumes.